Paris Guide

A city rich in treasures from it's historic past, Paris boasts many modern attractions as well. Paris is known for its famous buildings and works of art, its chic fashion scene and its modern literary, artistic, and intellectual ideals, and is a must for anyone wishing to experience the best of both contemporary and age old European culture. Paris is family friendly and is a city that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds with open arms.

The capital of the nation and of the historic ?le de France region, Paris is located in northern central France, across the English channel from Britain; 165mi southwest of Brussels; and 315mi west of Stuttgart. The city center, known as Intra-Muros, (within the walls), is bisected by the River Seine. Paris is divided into twenty zones or arrondissements that fan out in a circular pattern with the Louvre as the center point. The last two digits of the postal zip code of each zone indicate its location.

The area north of the river, the Rive Droite (Right Bank), includes the tree-lined Avenue des Champs ?lys?es, running west to the Arc de Triomphe. East of the avenue is the Mus?e du Louvre, the Centre Georges Pompidou and a lively district of museums, shops, markets and restaurants. Immediately south of the Pompidou Centre on the ?le de la Cit? is Notre Dame Cathedral. South of the river, in the area known as the Rive Gauche (Left Bank), can be found the city's trademark, the Eiffel Tower. To the east, are the Saint Germain de Pr?s and Montparnasse districts, in which can be found Paris's famous academic, artistic and intellectual enclave. The history of Paris has been both turbulent and exhilarating. From a shaky start, the kings of France gradually extended their control over their feudal rivals, centralizing administrative, legal, financial and political power in Paris as they did so. The autocratic Louis XIV made Paris into a glorious symbol of the preeminence of the State.

Napoleon I added to the Louvre and built the Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon III had Baron Haussmann tear down the extensive slums in the early 19th century and completely redesign the city center. Recent presidents have updated the skyline to include skyscrapers at La D?fense, and have initiated projects such as the Tour Montparnasse, Les Halles shopping precinct, the space-age Parc de la Villette complex, the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre, the Bastille opera house, the new National Library, and the conversion of the once closed railway station to the superb Mus?e d'Orsay.

Few cities can compare with the eclectic mix of caf?s, bars and restaurants that line every street and boulevard of Paris. The city's compactness makes it possible to explore on foot and experience the individual feel of the different quartier Paris is a real cinema capital, and the best Parisian music encompasses jazz, avant-garde, salsa and, currently, Europe's most vibrant African music scene.

Parts of Paris don't fit easily in any "category". In fact, Parisians say that their city is just a collection of one hundred villages. Montmartre, rising up to the north of the center, has managed to retain an almost rural atmosphere with its colorful mixture of locals and artists despite the daily influx of tourists. Undisturbed by tourism, the dilapidated working-class quarters of eastern Paris offer a rich ethnic slice of Parisian street life and in direct contrast, technological wonder is paraded at the ground-breaking science museum constructed in the recently renovated Parc de La Villette.

Like most Parisians, you may find there's enough in Paris to keep you from ever thinking about the world beyond. When you find you need a rest from the bustle of the city, however, there is the whole of the Ile de France to explore

Population:
2.15 million in the city; 10.5 million in the ?le de France (the suburban area around Paris)

Elevation:
27m (90ft)

Time Zone:
Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour: Time in Paris is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in New York.(7 hours ahead of central time in Chicago, etc.)

Area:
105 sq km (41 sq mi)

International Dialing Code:
All numbers for Paris and the outskirts of the city begin with 01 and have 10 digits. The country code is 33. (use the country code only when calling to Paris from another country). Calling cards can be purchased at tobacco stores, post offices and at main m?tro/RER stations in Paris to use in placing calls from public or private phones. To call the operator: dial 13. For directory assistance, dial 12.

Emergency:
police: 17
fire: 18
ambulance: 15
Emergency calls are free from phone booths.

Currency:
France's currency is the Franc (Fr) which is divided into 100 centimes. The denominations of franc bills are 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500. At present and until July 1, 2002, French currency is still being accepted during the transition time following the introduction of euro currency... The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at the major banks and stores.

Customs Regulations:
Telephone: 01 43 12 22 22 for information Mon.-Fri. 9-3.

Paris is at its best during the temperate spring months (March to May), with autumn coming in a close second. In winter, there are all sorts of cultural events to tempt the visitor, but school holidays can clog the streets. August is usually hot and sticky, and it's also when many Parisians take their yearly vacations, so businesses are likely to be closed.

Public rest rooms:
Restrooms are not difficult to find in most places. There is a small fee to use the facilities in train stations.

Electricity:
220 volt A/C). Most hotels have 110V shaver outlets. Plugs have 2 round pins or sometimes 3 pins in a vertical row. American appliances will need a plug adapter and will require a transformer if they do not have a dual voltage capability.

Visitors with disabilities:
Ease of access is improving. A well researched guide called Access in Paris is available at no charge from Access Projects, 39 Bradley Gardens, London W13 8HE. It deals with all aspects of travel and sight seeing.

Children:
Children under 4 travel free on French railways. Admission is free to museums for those under 18.

How to get around:
Paris is well equipped in the area of public transport, which is administered by the state owned company RATP. The easiest way to get around Paris is by the metro (subway) which runs daily from 5:30am-12:30am. Transportation maps are available at subway stations. Tickets can be purchased singly or in books of 10. They are available at the stations and from tobacconists and must be validated before boarding. It is also necessary to have the ticket available at the end of the journey. The best buy is a Paris Viste ticket which is valid for 1-5 days and can be used interchangeably on the subway, bus and rail service to some destinations. Buses run daily from 6:30am-8:30pm.
For information in English: 08 36 68 41 14.
A special tourist bus(the Balabus) operates on Sundays and holidays from April-September, circling the main tourist sites.
>From May-September the Batobus takes passengers on sight seeing trips on the Seine. This boat runs between the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame daily from 10-7 with stops at the main attractions: 01 44 11 33 44.
Taxis can be hailed from the street or from one of the 470 stands around the city. An illuminated light on the roof indicates that the cab is available.

Air Travel:
Flights arrive at either Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) (01 48 62 12 12 ) or at Orly (01 49 75 15 15). Most visitors arrive at CDG which is 14 miles north of Paris. Buses run frequently (every 12 minutes) and trains every 15 minutes from the airport to the city.
The same schedule of trains and buses operates from Orly airport, which is 8 miles south of Paris. A bus also runs every 20 minutes in both directions between the two airports. Metro, RER, Bus. RATP Information: 08 36 68 20 20
More info
Note: Traffic drives on the right side of the road in France. Pedestrians should exercise extreme caution. The drivers assume the right of way and often do not look for pedestrians.

Additional Transportation Information
The preferred route from Britain to France is the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) between London (via Folkestone) and Paris (via Calais), a trip that takes only three hours. TGV services also link Paris with Amsterdam and Brussels.
Hoverspeed runs bus-boat-bus combos from London, but the convenience of the Channel Tunnel has a great advantage over the water route.. There are also ferries and hovercraft between Ireland and France. Euroline buses run from Paris to cities all over Europe.

Limousine
International Limousines Tel : 33 1 53 81 14 14
Prestige Limousines Tel : 33 1 42 50 81 81
Executive Car Carey Limousine Tel : 33 1 42 65 54 20